Less Than Jake
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Less Than Jake | |
|---|---|
| Image:LessThanJake.jpg Less Than Jake performing in August 2006. From left to right: JR, Roger, Vinnie, Buddy, Chris.
| |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Image:Flag of the United States.svg Gainesville, Florida, United States |
| Genre(s) | Pop punk, Ska punk |
| Years active | 1992 – present |
| Label(s) | Asian Man, No Idea, Capitol, Fat Wreck Chords, Fueled by Ramen, Sire |
| Website | http://www.lessthanjake.com/ |
| Members | |
| Chris Demakes Roger Manganelli Vinnie Fiorello Buddy Schaub Peter "JR" Wasilewski | |
| Former members | |
| Shaun Grief Jessica Mills Derron Nuhfer Pete Anna | |
Less Than Jake is an American ska punk band from Gainesville, Florida. Originally formed in 1992 as a power pop trio, the band evolved into a hybrid of third-wave ska and punk rock, with added elements of modern rock and even metal. To date, the group has released seven original full-length albums and countless more singles and compilations. The current lineup comprises guitarist/vocalist Chris Demakes, bassist/vocalist Roger Manganelli, drummer/lyricist Vinnie Fiorello, trombonist Buddy Schaub, and saxophonist JR.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Origins
Vocalist and guitarist Chris Demakes and drummer Vinnie Fiorello led a local band named Good Grief with bassist Shaun Grief while attending high school in Port Charlotte, Florida. Good Grief broke up when Chris moved north to attend the University of Florida at Gainesville, Florida, and Vinnie followed suit to pursue college and further musical endeavors with Chris, already with song ideas in mind.[1] With Shaun now as their roadie, they needed to find a replacement bassist. Says Fiorello,
- "We decided before we tried to get a bass player we'd zero in on a name for the "band" - to either (A) - make it seem like we had out [sic] shit together or (B) - make ourselves feel better. I think it was (B) or maybe it was just so I could write it over and over again on notebook paper during my anthropology class."[2]
They decided to name the band after the dog Vinnie's family had owned while growing up in New Jersey. An 80lbs. pit bull, the pet was treated far more generously by his parents than, indeed, Vinnie himself was. With its own spot on the couch and takeout food ordered specifically to feed it, most everything else in the house was dubbed as being "less than Jake."[3] A replacement bassist was found in the form of Roger Manganelli, a guitarist who picked up the bass just prior to joining the band. Between 1993 and 1994 the group added their first horn player, Jessica Mills, and soon after came trombone player Buddy Schaub. Right before their first tour, however, Schaub traveled to Europe with friends, so saxophonist Derron Nuhfer filled in for shows during his absence.
With various 7" releases under their belt, Less than Jake debuted in 1994 with the album Pezcore, originally on Dill Records. The CD contained 21-tracks, the last two of which were punk covers of theme songs which are omitted from the album on the current version, reissued through Asian Man Records. The title of the album stemmed from Roger and Vinnie's unexplained fondness for PEZ candy, clearly apparent in their reportedly sizable Pez dispenser collections. This love for Pez is so intense that they chose Pezcore, partly as homage to their obsession, and partly as parody of the way in which many bands are described as [something]-core (starting with hardcore). Ever since, Pez dispenser motifs have been a common feature of Less Than Jake's merchandise.
In 1995, Losers, Kings and Things We Don't Understand and Greased followed on No Idea Records, the latter being an 8-song album of cover songs from the movie Grease. The release of Greased brought upon a legal battle with Paramount Pictures and Universal Music Group, who own the rights to the film and song respectively. Fortunately, a deal was reached, and the album was once again available for purchase.
[edit] Commercial Growth
1996's Losing Streak, released on Capitol Records, was Less Than Jake's major label debut. The album was full of the band's wry, fast-paced brand of ska-punk anthems, producing such fan favorites as "Johnny Quest Thinks We're Sellouts," "Jen Doesn't Like Me Anymore," and "Automatic". Upon the album's completion, saxophonist Jessica Mills left to pursue teaching, and was replaced by ex-Slapstick trombonist Pete Anna. Around this time, Vinnie Fiorello also started his own record label, Fueled by Ramen, with friend John Janick as a means to find and promote up-and-coming bands that he himself would want to hear.
Hello Rockview followed in 1998, and included such staple songs as "All My Best Friends Are Metalheads" and "Help Save the Youth of America from Exploding". The band even spawned a minor college radio hit with "History of a Boring Town."
In the fall of 2000, the band released Borders & Boundaries on Fat Wreck Chords, as well as landing the opening spot on Bon Jovi's North American tour. While neither as commercially successful or musically appreciated as previous releases, the album was a display of significant growth for the band, showcasing much more mature music than the band had ever shown before. Still, the album provided fans with two instant hits in "Look What Happened" and their hometown anthem, "Gainesville Rock City." Shortly after the album's release, Derron Nuhfer left the band (going on to join Gunmoll and later on Escape Grace), and Less Than Jake found a replacement in the ashes of another ska band, this time ex-Spring Heeled Jack U.S.A. saxophonist, Pete Wasilewski. To avoid the confusion provided by having two Peters within the band, the second Pete Wasilewski was dubbed JR (as in 'Peter Junior'). He still goes by JR even following the departure of the first Pete after the 2001 Warped Tour.
In 2002, Less Than Jake released Goodbye Blue and White. Having issued more 7" and limited-edition vinyl releases than most people can keep track of, the band compiled some of their favorite tracks on one record, and named in honor of their original tour van.
Anthem followed in 2003 for Sire Records. It featured hit singles in both the US and the UK, with "She's Gonna Break Soon" (TRL), "The Science Of Selling Yourself Short" (#37 Hot 100[4]), and "The Brightest Bulb Has Burned Out" featuring Billy Bragg (UK Top 40). Actress Alexis Bledel, known for her role as Rory Gilmore on Gilmore Girls appeared in the video for She's Gonna Break Soon, where she played the unnamed subject of the song, an angst teen girl who has a nervous breakdown, and destroys her bedroom over the course the song. B Is for B-sides was released the following year, and comprised tracks that did not make it to Anthem's final cut. The DVD retrospective People's History of Less Than Jake appeared a month later.
[edit] Recent Activity
In April 2006, the band released its four-song Absolution for Idiots and Addicts (EP), with their next full-length, In with the Out Crowd, following a month later on Warner Bros. Records. The album was also issued in a limited edition that came in a leather-bound case complete with bonus multimedia discs that contained a plethora of music videos, bonus tracks and an elaborate photo gallery.
In February 2007, Less Than Jake played six shows in Florida that each featured the band playing one of their albums in its entirety, plus b-sides and rarities. They played at three venues with each venue featuring two shows to be recorded for a future DVD release. The records performed were Borders and Boundaries, Pezcore, Losing Streak, Anthem, Hello Rockview, and In with the Out Crowd. They then did the same in London, United Kingdom, in September 2007, playing at the Mean Fiddler for 6 nights in a row.
In Summer 2007, Less Than Jake embarked on a North American tour with Reel Big Fish, featuring support from Streetlight Manifesto and Against All Authority. Against All Authority was not included on the final leg of the tour.
On the 21st of May after much speculation, Vinnie Fiorello announced on his blog that the band has been released from their contract with Sire Records and Warner Brothers. Following this split, the band released five high quality (MP3, 320kbit/s), DRM-free, unedited recordings of their live shows, taken directly from the mixing console at each show. These recordings are being released for sale on the band's website via Snocap. During 6 Albums / 6 Shows / 6 Nights in London, Chris stated that Less Than Jake's new record label was Cooking Vinyl in the UK and Europe.
The band recently returned home from a tour of Japan and Australia in December with Reel Big Fish and Streetlight Manifesto. They are set to go into the studio to begin recording their next album in March of 2008.[5]
[edit] Side Projects
Vinnie and his friend John Janick started up the independent record label Fueled by Ramen.
Vinnie also owns a toy company called Wünderland War, originally called Monkey VS Robot. The name was changed due to legal issues. Vinnie has also started a second toy company with a friend called Symptoms. Many of these toys have featured in art books and shows.
Roger has a side-project called Rehasher, who have recorded an album Off Key Melodies on Gainesville based record label No Idea Records. He plays guitar (not bass) for Rehasher, and is also their lead singer. JR was featured playing saxophone in the last track from the album.
JR composes his own solo music on top of working with a promoting company called the CT Mafia. He contributed one track to the Drive-Thru Records tribute to Bob Dylan, under the name "The Stay at Home Joneses" which also featured secondary vocals by Roger.
The members of Less Than Jake also served as backup musicians for Asian Man Records owner Mike Park in the Bruce Lee Band.
Buddy is involved in a side band called PB&J; in which he provides the bass, vocals and occasional trombone, as well as the bands Black Ice that he plays all instruments for and another band called Coffee Project.
Former bassist Shaun Grief joined hardcore punk band Victim Youth out of Fort Myers, FL in 2007. The band's first album is expected sometime in 2008.
[edit] Misconceptions and Rumours
Contrary to popular belief, Less Than Jake have never covered The Proclaimers' iconic hit "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)". Drummer, lyricist and band spokesman Vinnie has joked that it is the band's 'most downloaded song', despite the fact that they have never recorded their own version of it. The version fans are downloading is often mistakenly believed to be by British ska punk group Spunge, however it is actually a cover by Down By Law.
Another popular but untrue myth is "Liquor Store" was not written by them, but by Reel Big Fish. This originated from a show in Minneapolis (which was later played in its entirety on the band's website), in which Chris declared they couldn't play the song, untruthfully adding that they didn't write it, Reel Big Fish did. This was most likely a reference to Reel Big Fish having a hit song titled "Beer."
According to Chris, the second barrier at the Reading and Leeds Festivals were put in place to stop circle pits such as the one caused by Less Than Jake at the 2002 Leeds festival and 2006 Warped Tour. In fact, the second barrier was requested by Pearl Jam as a condition they would headline the Festival.
It has been reported that Less Than Jake have a long running feud with ska punk band Goldfinger though they have never commented. Members of Goldfinger gave their side of the story in an interview published in UK zine More Noise and Other Disturbances.
In 2006, with the release of In With the Out Crowd, many fans thought that New Found Glory's lead singer Jordan Pundik was a guest vocalist on the song Mostly Memories, however this was not true.
Although this has not been confirmed, the song, The Brightest Bulb Has Burned Out is said to be about Fat Mike, bassist and lead vocalist for his band, NOFX.
[edit] Personnel
[edit] Current members
- Chris Demakes - guitar, vocals
- Roger Manganelli - bass, vocals, second guitar (occasionally live and while recording)
- Vinnie Fiorello - drums, lyrics
- Buddy "Goldfinger" Schaub - trombone (plays bass guitar when Manganelli plays second guitar at concerts)
- Peter "JR" Wasilewski - saxophone, background vocals
[edit] Past members
- Shaun Grief - bass
- Jessica Mills - alto saxophone
- Kevin Fry - trombone
- Derron Nuhfer - tenor and baritone saxophones
- Pete Anna - trombone
[edit] Guest musicians
- Lars Nylander - valve trombone
- Vinny Nobile - trombone
- Chris Rhodes - trombone
- Aston Martin - trombone
- Cut Chemist- turntables
- Kel Mitchell - lead singer ("We're All Dudes")
- Billy Bragg - lead singer ("The Brightest Bulb Has Burned Out")
- Heather Tabor - backup singer ("Look What Happened")
- Mark Hoppus - co-lyricist (Rest of my Life)
[edit] Discography
[edit] Studio albums
| Year | Title | Label | US Chart Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Pezcore | Asian Man Records | - |
| 1996 | Losers, Kings, and Things We Don't Understand | No Idea Records | - |
| 1996 | Greased (Repress 2000) | No Idea Records | - |
| 1996 | Losing Streak | Capitol Records | 18 (Heatseekers)[6] |
| 1998 | Hello Rockview | Capitol Records | 80[7] |
| 2000 | Borders & Boundaries | Fat Wreck Chords | 103[8] |
| 2003 | Anthem | Sire Records | 45[9] |
| 2006 | In with the Out Crowd | Warner Bros. Records | 78[10] |
| 2008 | New Studio Album (Currently Untitled) | Sleep It Off (US) / Cooking Vinyl Records (UK) |
[edit] Singles
| Year | Title | US Chart | UK Chart |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | "History of a Boring Town" | 39 | - |
| 2000 | "All My Best Friends Are Metalheads" | - | 51[11] |
| 2001 | "Gainesville Rock City" | - | 57[12] |
| 2003 | "She's Gonna Break Soon" | - | 39[13] |
| 2003 | "The Science Of Selling Yourself Short" | 37 | 78 |
| 2006 | "Overrated (Everything Is) / A Still Life Franchise" (double A-side) | - | 61[14] |
| 2006 | "The Rest of My Life / Don't Fall Asleep On The Subway (double A-Side)" | - | 77 |
| 2006 | "P. S. Shock The World" | - | 96 |
[edit] Vinyls and 7"
| Title | Label |
|---|---|
| AAA/LTJ split 7" | Far Out Records |
| All My Best Friends Are Metalheads 7" | Golf Records |
| All My Best Friends Are Metalheads Jukebox 7" | Capitol Records |
| Birthday Cake 7" | Fueled by Ramen |
| Birthday Cake 7" (Moldy) | Fueled by Ramen |
| Borders & Boundaries LP | Fat Wreck Chords |
| Cheese 7" | Fueled by Ramen |
| Cheese 7" (Moldy) | Fueled by Ramen |
| Chicago Halloween 7" | Fueled by Ramen |
| Crash Course in Being an Asshole 7" | Rhetoric Records |
| Crash Course in Being an Asshole Picture Disc | Rhetoric Records |
| Dopeman Jukebox 7" | Capitol Records |
| Food Not Bombs 7" | Fueled by Ramen |
| G-Man Training Target 7" | What Else? Records |
| G-Man/Crash Course in Being an Asshole double 7" | Rhetoric Records |
| Greased LP | No Idea Records |
| Hello Rockview Box Set | Capitol Records |
| Hello Rockview LP | Liberation Records |
| Hello Rockview Picture Disc | Drive-Thru Records |
| I Think I Love You 7" Flexi | Capitol Records |
| J Church/LTJ split 7" | Dead Beat Records |
| Kemuri/LTJ split 7" | Fueled By Ramen |
| Kemuri/LTJ double split 7" | Fueled By Ramen |
| Live From Chicago 7" | Capitol Records |
| Liverache: Tales From the Livers' Edge double LP | Very Small Records |
| Losers, Kings, and Things We Don't Understand LP | No Idea Records |
| Losing Streak Picture Disc | No Idea Records |
| Losing Streak b/w Mixology of Tom Collins 5" | No Idea Records |
| Madison 8" Flexi | Fueled by Ramen |
| Making Fun of Things You Don't Understand 10" | Far Out Records |
| Megadeth/LTJ split 7" | Fueled by Ramen |
| Megadeth/LTJ split 7" (Europe) | Fueled by Ramen |
| Muppets 7" | Liquid Meat Records |
| Pesto 7" | Too Many Records |
| Pez Kings 7" | Toybox Records |
| Pezcore LP | Rhetoric Records |
| Pezcore LP (Special Edition) | Fueled by Ramen |
| Pezcore Picture Disc | Rhetoric Records |
| Pie Tin | Fueled By Ramen |
| Pung/LTJ split 7" | No Idea Records |
| Punk TV LP | Red Dawg Records |
| Rock-n-Roll Pizzeria 7" | No Idea Records |
| Rock-n-Roll Pizzeria 7" (Japan) | Nat Records |
| Slayer 7" | No Idea Records |
| Smoke Spot 7" | No Idea Records |
| Songs About Drinking double LP | Too Many Records |
| Sprocket Wheel/LTJ Split 7" | Snuffy Smile Records |
| Theme for Yo-Yo Ninja Boy 7" Flexi | Erika Records |
| Three Way Split 7" | Toybox Records |
| Unglued 7" | No Idea Records |
| Viva La Vinyl vol. #2 LP | Dead Beat Records |
| Wood Panel Pacer Wagon with Mags LP + 7" | Too Many Records |
[edit] Other
Compilations, live records, miscellaneous releases
| Year | Title | Label | US Chart Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Bootleg a Bootleg, You Cut Out the Middleman | Self-Released | - |
| 1998 | Liverache - Tales from the Liver's Edge | Very Small Records | - |
| 1999 | Pesto | Very Small Records | - |
| 1999 | Live from Uranus | EMI | - |
| 2000 | The Pez Collection | Moon Ska Europe and Rapido | - |
| 2002 | Goodbye Blue and White | Fueled By Ramen | 36[15] |
| 2004 | B is for B-sides | Sire | 157[16] |
| 2004 | Live in Minneapolis | (download only) | - |
| 2005 | B is for B-sides (Remixed) | Fueled By Ramen | |
| 2006 | Absolution for Idiots and Addicts (EP) | Sire | - |
Self-Released Live Shows
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Bizarre Festival - 08.19.2001 | Self-Released via Snocap |
| 2007 | Glastonbury Festival - 06.29.2002 | Self-Released via Snocap |
| 2007 | Tokyo, Japan - 10.22.2002 | Self-Released via Snocap |
| 2007 | Hollywood, CA - 06.14.2003 | Self-Released via Snocap |
| 2007 | London, England - 04.20.2004 | Self-Released via Snocap |
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | The People's History of Less Than Jake | Fueled By Ramen |
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Avant Tarde | Fueled By Ramen |
Songs contributed to compilations and soundtracks for films and video games
| Title | Contributed to | Label, Year |
|---|---|---|
| Liquor Store | Songs About Drinking | Very Small Records, 1995 |
| My Very Own Flag | Closer Than You, Vol. 1: Florida Ska | Moon Ska Records, 1996 |
| The Summer Of '69 | Wood Panel Pacer Wagon With Mags | Very Small Records, 1996 |
| Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer | It's a Punk and Ska Christmas Gone Wrong | Drive Thru Records, 1997 |
| Cheese | Liverache': Tales From The Livers' Edge | Very Small Records, 1997 |
| We're All Dudes (Feat. Kel Mitchell) | Good Burger | 1997 |
| I Think I Love You (The Partridge Family Cover) | Scream 2 | 1997 |
| All My Best Friends Are Metalheads | Street Sk8er | EA Sports, 1998 |
| Digimon: The Movie | 2000 | |
| Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 | 2002 | |
| Sugar in Your Gas Tank | Street Sk8er | EA Sports, 1998 |
| Help Save the Youth of America From Exploding | Drive Me Crazy | 1999 |
| Anchor | Short Music for Short People | Fat Wreck Chords, 1999 |
| Surrender (Cheap Trick Cover) | ATV Offroad Fury | Sony, 2001 |
| Motown Never Sounded So Good | ATV Offroad Fury | Sony, 2001 |
| Faction | Uncontrollable Fatulence | Fat Wreck Chords, 2002 |
| Look What Happened | Grind | 2003 |
| The Ghosts Of Me and You | NHL 2004 | EA Sports, 2003 |
| Scooby Doo | ||
| Short Fuse Burning | Gran Turismo 4 | Sony, 2004 |
| That's Why They Call It A Union | Tony Hawk's Underground 2 | 2004 |
| The Brightest Bulb Has Burned Out (Feat. Billy Bragg) | Rock Against Bush, Vol. 1 | Fat Wreck Chords, 2004 |
| Bridge and Tunnel Authority | Project Gotham Racing 3 | |
| A Still Life Franchise | Madden 07 | EA Sports, 2006 |
[edit] Trivia
| Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones. |
- Band member haunts have included Eddie C's (now The Backstage Lounge), the Hardback (which was transformed into the Lyric), and Insomnia (which used to be the Covered Dish, and is now the new location of Common Grounds).
- They are largely responsible for, though unaffiliated with, the Florida Ska Revival Movement in their home state of Florida, which is a movement started by a group of Florida bands to bring ska music back into the mainstream.
- Many of the band members are known to enjoy heavy metal music (hence the song All My Best Friends Are Metalheads). Roger and JR both list the legendary British heavy metal band Iron Maiden as a favorite, and Chris has frequently been sighted wearing '80s metal band t-shirts such as Posion, Mötley Crüe, Cinderella, and Black Sabbath.
- The band recently posted a song on their MySpace, which is a medley of the songs Automatic, Throw The Brick, She's Gonna Break Soon, Dopeman, Bad Scene and a Basement Show, and Anchor, although it is not available for play anymore.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Less Than Jake Official Website Interview Accessed 03 September 2007
- ^ Less Than Jake Official Website History Accessed 03 September 2007
- ^ Less Than Jake Official Website FAQ Accessed 03 September 2007
- ^ Billboard Music Charts Hot-100 Week of 8/9/03 Accessed 04 September 2007
- ^ Vinnie's Blog update Accessed 16 October 2007
- ^ AllMusic Charts: Losing Streak Accessed 19 October 2007
- ^ AllMusic Charts: Hello Rockview Accessed 19 October 2007
- ^ AllMusic Charts: Borders & Boundaries Accessed 19 October 2007
- ^ AllMusic Charts: Anthem Accessed 19 October 2007
- ^ AllMusic Charts: In With the Out Crowd Accessed 19 October 2007
- ^ Polyhex UK Singles: (requires search) Accessed 19 October 2007
- ^ Polyhex UK Singles: (requires search) Accessed 19 October 2007
- ^ Polyhex UK Singles: (requires search) Accessed 19 October 2007
- ^ Polyhex UK Singles: (requires search) Accessed 19 October 2007
- ^ AllMusic Charts: Goodbye Blue and White Accessed 19 October 2007
- ^ AllMusic Charts: B is for B-Sides Accessed 19 October 2007
[edit] External links
- Official Website
- Official MySpace
- Official Wunderland War Website
- Interview: JR of Less Than Jake "In With the Out Crowd"
- Interview: ThoughtWorthy Media with Vinnie Fiorello (37:05)
- Interview: TruePunk.com from the late 90's
- Interview: Burning Stars with Chris and JR
- Interview: Burning Stars with JR
- Interview: The Brittany Equation Show with Roger at the Warped Tour
- Vinnie's online blog
- Fansite: Brightest-bulb.com
Less Than Jake | |
|---|---|
| Albums | Pezcore • Losers, Kings, and Things We Don't Understand • Greased • Losing Streak • Hello Rockview • Borders & Boundaries • Anthem • B is for B-sides • In With the Out Crowd |
| Related Articles | Rehasher • Fueled by Ramen |
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